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Alert

Journalists on trial for taking photographs of official

(BIANET/IFEX) - A trial has been opened against "Hürriyet" newspaper journalist Nurettin Kurt and editorial manager Hasan Kılıç. Both defendants face imprisonment for taking and publishing photos of Colonel E.Y.B.

Istanbul's Public Prosecutor opened a court case against the two journalists in the context of a search of the so-called "cosmic room", which had been conducted based on an alleged assassination plot directed at Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç. The cosmic room is connected to the Special Forces Command.

Both journalists face imprisonment of between one and three years under Article 6 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMY), which deals with "identifying officials on anti-terrorist duties as targets of terrorist organizations".

The investigation was initiated after the arrest of two military officers on duty in the cosmic room of the Special Forces Command. Prosecutor Şemsettin Özcan conducted a search of the room on 26 December 2009.

Since the investigation into the assassination plot is still ongoing, the prosecutor has not yet clarified for which terror organization the colonel was supposedly identified as a target by Kurt and Kılıç.

Kurt commented on the trial: "All over the world journalism means conducting this sort of investigation. I am astonished".

The indictment also mentions that an investigation has been launched into "Habertürk" newspaper journalist Cemal Doğan and editorial manager İzzet Doğan.